Mothers and Fathers
by Haruhiryu
Summary: The Shepherds were a family. True, not many of them were blood-related, but they were tied by a bond; a bond to protect everything that they hold dear. Many were big sisters and brothers, others the young'uns. There was the crazy uncle, the gynophobic cousin, and the extremely youthful (and childish) grandma. So, who, in this insane mess of a family, is "Mother" and "Father?"


**A/N:**

**I'm going with the default name, Robin. Using the avatar set-up, this is what she would look like...2-1-3-1.**

**Main/Support characters: Frederick, FeMU, Chrom, Lon`qu, Libra, and Olivia**

**Pairings: Fred x FeMU, Chrom x Sumia, Chrom x FeMU (friendship)**

**I do not own or have the rights to Fire Emblem Awakening or any of the characters.**

**2/1/15 -Not really an update...more of a fix. When I posted this, I didn't notice that my section breaks didn't transfer over via copy-paste. Because I wasn't happy about that...I needed to update it with the edit. Sorry...  
**

**3/22/15 -Not an update...just fixing a spelling error that bothered me...**

"Congratulations!" He just happened to be walking pass when he saw them: Chrom, Lissa, and Robin. "When's the wedding going to be?" Excitement in Lissa's voice.

"We're not sure yet, maybe six months to a year. There's much rebuilding needing to be done, so that will be my main focus when we return." Chrom smiled, Robin nodded enthusiastically.

He turned, walking away from the group, deaf to the rest of what could be overheard. Why was he running away? Shouldn't he be happy for his lord and the tactician? She would be a good queen, the two balanced each other well. Chrom and Robin were amazing together, not only on the battlefield, even daily things; one completed the other. He should be happy! He was a servant of the Halidom of Ylisse, and following the death of Lady Emmeryn, the victory of war and a royal marriage would no doubt bring some joy to the kingdom…So why, why was his heart breaking?

* * *

"Frederick?" He turned to see Robin walking towards him; he quickly stood in response, bowing in greeting. Although much celebrations were going on in the mess hall and the area around there, Frederick sat far away at a lone camp fire, back to the bright lights. He had taken off his armor to clean, and to remove the grimy suit underneath, all dirtied in battle against the Plegians. He now wore a clean replica, white collared shirt and a brown vest. However, he did switch to brown slacks, more comfortable than his usual leg ware, and kept a Silver Lance at his side. True, they were guarded by Ylissean and Regna Ferox foot soldiers, but one could never be too careful.

"Milady?"

She looked at him questioningly, but ignored the noun used. "What are you doing over here? Shouldn't you be at the celebrations with everyone else?"

Briefly, a sad smile flicked across his face, but it quickly returned to his stoic visage. "I'm not much in the mood for celebrations tonight, milady."

"Are you not feeling well?" She stepped closer.

"I'm perfectly fine." He shook his head, stepping back. "May I ask why you're not with the others? You are the star for the night."

Star? She couldn't get the meaning of his words, and she was what people called sharp. Yes, she was the reason they won the war, but she had only made the plans. Chrom led the army, taking the final strike, and everyone, including herself, carried out the strategy. Frederick was acting quite strange; however, to truly test her theory of him being "ill," she would need to push. "Looking for you of course, Freddy-bear! Chrom has also been wondering where you disappeared to since this afternoon."

"I see. I was…around." They stood in awkward silence for a while. Some pieces of the puzzle had come together, and the conclusion Robin could currently make was, "I should be worried." The tactician shifted uncomfortably. Star was a different word, so not too weird, but the "milady," for her at least, was definitely an odd word choice. As well, by now, Frederick would have scolded her for the use of that nickname. "My apologies," He said after some time, breaking her concentration. Once again, that depressed smile graced his face. "I forgot to congratulate you."

"Congratulate me? For what?" She cocked her head to the side, an adorable habit that she unknowingly had.

"For your engagement to milord."

She looked at him in confusion. "What are you talking about? If you're going to congratulate anyone, it should be Chrom and Sumia."

"…Sumia?"

"Yes, Chrom and Sumia are engaged." She showed him both of her partially gloved hands, no emblem-branded ring in sight. "I, on the other hand, am obviously not."

"But…I saw…"

"Saw what?"

The brunette looked befuddled, but soon regained his composure. "Earlier this afternoon, I was passing behind your tent, and saw you, Lady Lissa, and milord talking. Milady congratulated the two of you. Sumia was nowhere in the vicinity."

"Sumia was there though, to the left of Chrom."

"…But…I…" He stopped, replaying the afternoon in his mind. To the left of Chrom? Lissa was in front, angled toward Chrom, but he could partially see her face. Robin had her back towards him. Chrom stood to Robin's left, mostly blocked by the tent. Did he just not walk out far enough to see the fourth person in the party? If Sumia was to Chrom's left, and he could barely see milord, he wouldn't see anyone to the left of him. He hadn't heard Sumia speak, but Robin hadn't either.

"Frederick?"

He looked over to her. "So you're not engaged to milord?" She shook her head. "…My apologies." The heaviness in his chest started to lift. "Excuse me, I should go congratulate them."

"Bad idea," The platinum shrugged, feeling relief for the melancholic look dissipating from Frederick's face. She stepped around him, sitting on the log he was on a few minutes ago. "They've separated for the time being, surrounded by well-wishers right now. Females around Sumia, males around Chrom. The gaggle of women are too crazy to be around right now; Chrom on the other hand is probably more than a bit tipsy, being that the ale started flowing more than an hour ago."

"I see. My apologies again, for the assumption." He bowed. Returning upright, he looked a bit uncertain what to do, so she patted the log. He thought about it, then returned to his seat.

The silence returned as they stared at the fire, but it was comfortable now, not like before. The only noise coming far a distance away, the slight chatter carrying through the night.

"Feeling better?"

He glanced at her. "I told you I was fine."

She hummed. "Probably happy that this spy isn't going to be the queen of Ylisse, yah?" He blanched. She looked at him and laughed half-heartedly. "I'm sorry, didn't realize that was still a sore spot for you. Not that I blame you for your mindset. If I were in your shoes, I would have treated a mysterious amnesiac the same way."

"I'm sure you wouldn't."

"No, I doubt I would have handled the situation like Chrom. There are very few naïve idiots who would openly welcome a stranger. …No offense to Chrom, of course."

"Of course."

"However, it is one of his few charming qualities," She chuckled.

"…You don't like milord, do you, Robin?"

"What!" She looked at him, a shocked, angry look on her face. "Why does everyone keep asking that? Can't a man and woman just be friends?"

"I'm sorry!" Frederick moved back a little, trying to get farther from the tactician while still remaining seated; very few could handle Robin's wrath when at maximum, gratefully it was still at a "six." "I meant no offense."

She stood, stamping around the fire. "I know, but almost everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, has asked me that today! Even Sumia! Gods! We're just friends! FRIENDS! F-R-I-E-N-D-S! The only one who didn't ask was Chrom, but that's Chrom for you." She shrugged violently, letting out a ragged breath. Stopping her rampage, she sat on the opposite end of the log, now far from him, versus the inches that separated them earlier. After some time, she looked at him meekly, "…sorry about that."

"No," He shook his head. "I'm sure I would feel the same if everyone kept bothering me in that manner. I…we all, just assumed that you two would marry because you seemed joined at the hip." He looked at her, noticing the return of that disgusted look. Had he said something wrong again?

"I wasn't following Chrom, I was following…" She stopped in midsentence, then quickly shook her head, her face beet red. "Forget I said anything!" Quickly she hid her face in her hands, curling partially into a ball, although still fully seated on the log.

"…I'm sorry?" There was no response. They remained like that for several minutes. Frederick turned to the mess tent, hearing a louder, noisier rowdiness; the garbled laughter by the men, and Sully, was now quite audible. After a while, Frederick looked up, staring at the stars. Since it was obvious the platinum didn't want to converse, and it would be rude to leave, he allowed his thoughts to consume him. How far the Shepherds had come since finding Robin. Lissa, although still childish, definitely grew a lot through their journey, both physically and mentally. Chrom definitely became a man who Lady Emmeryn could be proud of. Not only had he grown in strength, but also as a leader; a man who could carry their nation. Then there was Robin, she…He stopped thinking, hearing a giggle. He turned to see Robin smiling at him.

"You really look like a proud father right now. Let me guess? Thinking about how your lord has grown?"

"What? How did you-?"

"You have that look, the same look you made following the speech Chrom gave following Emmeryn's death. The 'I-feel-like-a-dad-whose-son-became-a-man' look, or something." She tried to restrain herself, but failed, laughing in a pretty and melodic tone. Free of care; he hadn't heard that from her in months. Since the war started, she hardly laughed, and if she did, it was only a slight chuckle, not frivolous like now. He wouldn't laugh, being that it was at his expense, but he grinned. She always looked best with a smile on her face. As she continued, he realized he was staring, a slight warmth to his face. He swiftly turned away, facing the fire, doing his best to keep his emotions in check; his face returned to the emotionless, stoic look, though that didn't last long.

As her laughing slowed, she wiped tears from her eyes and looked firmly at the knight. "Really though, you're more like a mother than a father." Smile broad on her face.

"B-Beg pardon?" Shock, with a bit of appall, was now the ruling emotion; perfect demeanor gone.

"You're. A. Mother."

"But, I'm a man!"

"Doesn't matter! All the little things you do around camp is more motherly than fatherly. Mending the tents, making matching gloves for everyone, preparing Lissa and Chrom's clothes for the following day, food preparation, shining the weapons and armor, weeding every campsite and road we cross. Do I need to go on?" He couldn't deny that most of those examples mentioned were feminine, and even the masculine ones could be seen as "motherly" affection.

"Have you drunk anything, Robin?"

"Alcohol?" She tilted her head, speaking clearly, but the second part of her response was a bit mumbled in embarrassment. "Of course not…You know I can't handle the stuff…" She was right. She could handle Mage, Myrmidon, and Fighter in battle; push through hunger and fatigue when needed; she even could handle the daily troubles that occurred in camp. However, the one thing she couldn't handle was alcohol. After one drink, even of the weak stuff, she was out like a snuffed candle, sleeping in till mid-morning. She wasn't proud of her inability, being that it was one of the few well-known teasing points that she had, but she couldn't do much about it.

He returned to the previous subject; better his embarrassment then hers. "When did you start thinking of me as a 'mother?'"

"Only recently. For a while, like everyone else, I thought you were like a nanny or a steward." He flinched; he was not a steward! "Then we had that conversation following Emmeryn's death, where I said you were like a father. Well, that got me to thinking, 'cause your look was really fatherly. Physically, you're fatherly and masculine, but you can be fairly over-protective and motherly at times. In the end, after weighting everything out, I concurred that you're more mother than father."

"Being over-protective is my duty as a knight!"

"Not to the extent you take it. You're ferociousness is like a mother bear. I bet if you needed to, you would chew and spoon fed your protectees."

"I would never!"

"Really?"

Silence…He couldn't say no again, not honestly. Thinking about it, he would definitely spoon feed them, he actually had to sometimes when watching the princess in her toddler years. Chewing their food though? The thought was unsanitary for his lord and lady, but if he needed to…

"You're thinking about it, aren't you?" Poking him in the ribs, he realized she was next to him again, an impish smile on her face.

"If there's a mother, than who's the father?"

"Can't you be a single mother?"

"If I am the mother to this Shepherd group, we will be a proper family. Only women in low stations would live such lives."

"Or women whose husbands or fiancées desert them for another. Or men who are taken from the world far too young due to disease or strife. Or widows who lose their husbands due to war. There are very few things in the world that are really that cut-and-dry."

"Just humor me then, who would you say the camp's father is?"

Tilting her head again, eyes closed, she pondered. "Chrom would be the obvious choice, but only in the aspect of being the person everyone looks up to. In truth, Chrom is really more of the 'Big Brother' type. If you're the mother though, I suppose I could be father." She looked at him directly, lightly thumping her chest with a closed hand, trying to be "manly."

"You?"

"Yes me!" She huffed. "Who keeps everyone safe in battle thanks to pre-planned strategies? Me. Who keeps track of everything important related to Ylisse' internal affairs while we travel? Me. Who keeps hold and tally of our accounts? Me. Who goes around camp to make sure everyone is peachy even in the darkest of times? Me. Who keeps check of that mysterious roster we found randomly in the barracks? Me…well, us, but I've recently been the one keeping watch over it." He looked at her. She had a point, most of those jobs, in general, leaned towards masculinity and fatherliness. "If you're mother, then I'm father!"

"Very well," He relented. Eyes closed, his right hand went to massage the bridge of his nose. In the end though, a smirk graced his face. Other Shepherds had raced through his mind, male and female alike, and none matched "father" like the way Robin presented. "I suppose I could be stuck with a worse 'spouse.'" This got her laughing, and he joined in as well, although much more softly.

Silence slowly claimed the scene again, the moon high above. It was even silent from the direction of the mess tent, everyone, even the more proper Shepherds, probably fell asleep at the tables or near the fireside.

"What will you do now?" Frederick asked, looking at the tactician.

"…Get ready for bed?"

"No, I mean, now that the war is over."

"I'm not being fired am I?" Mock-shock on her face.

"No, but you're probably free from your position, if you so wished."

Her head tilted in a puppy like manner. "I suppose I have no reason to go anywhere. I don't have a home to return to besides Ylisse, and I've done enough traveling for now. Anyway, I doubt Chrom could survive without me. I read and write all the paper work, giving him watered down explanations. The only thing he does now is sign. Also, Ylisse needs some rebuilding from the bottom up, being that many people in high positions are gone thanks to this war."

"Chrom isn't incapable of doing his work. He did so before your arrival."

"Well, he's become lazy and overly pampered thanks to me. Anyway, he has a few other worries he needs to deal with, like making an heir, dealing with the courts, pleasing his wife, international relationships, helping Sumia acclimate to court life, etc. etc."

"…Are you jealous? Do you want to start a family?"

Another puppy tilt, her head slowly turned towards the fire in thought. "I wouldn't be honest if I said no. I am a bit envious of Sumia, not because she's romantically involved with Chrom, mind you. Just that…she has someone. I won't deny that it would be nice; most women want to marry, or at least be with someone they love." A light blush graced her cheeks.

"Do you have someone you like?" He also turned to the fire, his own face burning. Maybe that was too personal a question.

"Many women in the camp have a crush, Freddy-bear, me included."

"Well, you should try catch him. Very few men in camp would say no to you." He glanced at her, waiting for a response.

"He's a dense one, this fish. Might not even realize he's a fish."

"Not a fish? Are you going after a bird then?"

"Nope. You know I prefer gamier things Freddy…Bear. I'm going after a bear." He chuckled at her comment. She tried to laugh, but failed. Giving up, her stare returned to the fire. He noticed and stopped; she was serious. "Do you have someone Frederick? Have you thought about marriage after the post-war affairs settle?"

"I…" Pausing, he slowly formed his thoughts. "I've been in Ylisse' military for over half my life. Men, superiors and juniors, married over the years while I served. The thought of marriage has always been there. My family has served the exalted clan for generations. If you did not know, my station is of the lower nobles due to knighthood being automatically inherited, so marriage and continuing my line is important; however, only recently, have I seriously thought about marriage. To answer your question, there is someone who has caught my fancy, and I would like to marry her, but whether this person returns my affections, I cannot say." A slight blush slowly increased over his face as he spoke. Staring at the fire, he realized it was dimming, so he threw on another log and some kindling, refueling the blaze.

…That's when it clicked. Everything came together; his own face turning a beet red. He turned to look at Robin. Hands on her knees, head on her hands, it looked almost as if she were asleep, but her ears being crimson, he knew she was awake. He was about to speak, then stopped. What if he was misunderstanding their conversation; what if he misread the signs?

…Start at the beginning…She had come searching for him. She could have better spent her time with the others in the mess tent, but instead, she came looking for him. That was something, right? Well, Chrom was also wondering about him, so maybe it was just concern over a friend. She would do that; go out of her way to comfort others.

…Second…She tried to comfort him. Once again, it loops back to point one; that was just her nature.

…Third…That "Chrom is only a FRIEND" conversation, saying she wasn't following Chrom, then stopping in midsentence. Was she going to say his name? Was this just wishful thinking? Was she just embarrassed to admit who she liked? Still no concrete evidence…

…Fourth…She poked fun at him. Once again, it was in her nature, right? ...Right? Or was it just him? He thought about it; yes she joked with everyone, maybe a little more so with Chrom and Lissa, but she only really pushed things with him. Did that mean something? Well, he was milord and milady's plaything as well. It was probably not special treatment.

…Fifth…That nickname, "Freddy-bear." Obviously that came from his strong dislike of game meat, bear worse of all. Still, had she given anyone else nicknames? No, not that he knew of. She called everyone by their proper name, even himself, but only after he complained. She now only used the nickname in private. Many of the other Shepherds had nicknames for each other, but he was the only one given a nickname by Robin. Evidence? Maybe; he had to keep digging…

…Sixth…Gods this was a lot of "evidence"...that meant something, right?…That whole "Mother/Father" conversation. That was teasing, once again, but the implications…"Mothers" and "Fathers" made a family, right? Even if their gender roles were switched, she implied that they were a couple. Was he reading too far into this? It's a pretty awkward conversation to have otherwise. Was there more?

…Seventh…Yes, yes there was…That future/marriage conversation. Most of it was fairly normal, but when they started talking about who she liked, she had gotten quite serious, or maybe embarrassed, over it. She wanted a "bear," and the only person he could equate to being a "bear" in this camp was himself. Did she mean him? Well, there were many other "bear-like" men in camp; Gregor and Vaike were the two that swiftly came to mind. Still, she called him a bear several times throughout the night, so to her, Frederick must equal bear, right? Wait, something still felt wrong. What had she said earlier?

_'Nope. You know I prefer gamier things Freddy…Bear. I'm going after a bear.'_

There were two ways to look at the statement: 1) She just happened to be saying his nickname, with a pause, or 2) Although un-grammatical, she was going after him. These were the two sides to the coin, so yes, he could be misreading everything, but the evidence, even the insubstantial bits, still pointed to him!

Finally he spoke, pulling his thoughts together, "Robin?" He kept his eyes on the fire, trying to keep his voice steady. "The 'Mother/Father' conversation we had, that was just a conversation, right?"

"Was it?" Her face was muffled and soft, probably still facing away from him. He glanced over, she was still in that same position.

"That wasn't a proposal or something, was it?"

"Proposal, no. Confession, maybe. Tactical error, definitely…"

"Do you-"

"Stop! Just forget I said anything!" She stood, shaking her head, fists clenched. "Just forget! It was my fault! I shouldn't have said everything that I did tonight!" She started speed-walking away, but he easily caught up to her, lightly catching her arm.

"Robin?"

She wouldn't look at him. Her whole face was red now; tears looked ready to drop. "Please just-"

"I like you."

She stopped, looking up at him. "…What?"

"I. Like. You. Do you feel the same about me?"

"You're not joking with me, are you? ...This is a horrible joke, Frederick!"

"I would never joke about something like this. Do you? If you don't, I'm sorry." He let her go, turning to walk back to the fire. Everything was happening too fast; destruction, rebuilding, destruction. That's when it hit him; it being Robin.

"I love Frederick!" Her voice desperate, her arms around his waist, he could feel his vest dampening a little as she nuzzled into the back of his clothes. He removed her arms, turned towards her, then kneeled, both hands in his.

"I don't have a ring to offer you right now, but-?"

"Stop…" She was shaking her head, he was confused. "Don't…"

"But-"

"This is irrational! Frederick is never irrational!" Tears were dripping down her face.

"Robin…"

She shook her head more.

"Robin!"

She struggled against his grasp, though her hands couldn't escape.

"ROBIN!"

She stopped. "I'm imperfect…"

"I don't need perfection."

"I'm amnesiac..."

"It does not hinder your brain. You're intelligent, the smartest woman I know."

"I have no family, no past…"

"Your family is the Shepherds. If you need something more, I will be your family, we can start anew."

"I'm not pretty…"

"You're beautiful."

"I'm only good at fighting and tactics…"

"And that has kept us all from death."

"I'm horrible at everything else…"

"You're a fast learner. If you can't do something now, with me as your teacher, you will be at least average within a year, although, with your prowess, you will probably be better than most."

"You deserve better!"

"I only want you." She said nothing. He could tell her brain was wracking for more, but nothing came; finally he "won" one of their verbal duels, but it wasn't victory, yet. "Robin, today, when I thought you were marrying Chrom, my world crumbled, but I remained silent because somewhere, deep within me, I wished for your and Chrom's happiness. Now, knowing that wasn't the case, I can't think of what would happen if I lost you again. You give my life purpose, milady. If, as you said, return my affections, will you marry me?"

Tear-filled eyes, she looked at him and nodded. "I'm not much, but if you're willing to have me…"

"You do me the greatest honor." He gently raised her hands, kissing the middle where index fingers met.

He stood, ignoring the dust on his pants. Lifting her face, he once again was blessed with her smile. Even with tears, she looked stunning. He tilted her chin up, "May I?" Blushing again, she nodded, closing her eyes. The kiss was chaste, soft and sweet. Lasting only a few seconds, his lips left hers. He then kissed her forehead, followed by a warm embrace. "My heart is yours, milady." He softly whispered. "I vow to defend you as knight and husband until death should part us." His left hand stroked her hair, while the right caressed the smalls of her back. Her own hands clutched his vest, her head snug deeply in his chest.

"You can be quite masculine at times, my love."

"I assume I can currently hold the title of 'Father' then?"

"'Mother,' 'Father,' neither really matter, Frederick. As long as you're with me, I don't care what my role is."

* * *

The two returned to the log, sitting there talking. What they talked about varied: serious, light-hearted, funny, the past, the future. At times, it was silent, and they just sat in the fire's glow, in each other's company. Finally they parted when the sun rose. Frederick walked Robin back to her tent; however, instead of heading to his own, he started on the day's work. Yes, he was tired, but the exuberance he felt for knowing that his feelings were returned, that would keep him from sleep, whether working or not, and so, not knowing what else to do, he worked.

* * *

"Chrom?"

He swatted at the finger poking his cheek. "…Five…minutes…"

"You said you wanted to hold a meeting at ten thirty…it's almost noon!"

He grunted, slightly opening one eye to see a blurred platinum haired figure. It was bright, too bright, and Gods did he have a pounding headache. He tried to roll away from the light, but instead, fell to the floor…That woke him up. "Where am I?" His headache lessened, but only thanks to a new throbbing ache at the back of his head.

"Mess tent," Was Robin's reply, holding out her left hand to the lord. Since he didn't trust his legs, after he took her hand, he leaned on her, befuddled.

"…What?"

"Yesterday, we beat Gangrel, you proposed to Sumia, then there was a big party till who knows when." He nodded, that sounded familiar. Looking around, he saw Shepherds sprawled everywhere: sleeping in weird positions, strange pairs snuggled next to each other, drool and mumbling; at least they had enough tact to leave an aisle to the kitchen area and front flap. Robin was dragging him to the kitchen, and the warmth hit him suddenly.

"Morning." He turned to see Lon`qu sitting; Chrom responded with a half-hearted wave. The Myrmidon stood up. "Do you need help?"

Chrom didn't understand. "Nah, I'm good." Oh…he was talking to Robin. The tactician dragged Chrom to a table, flipping over a glass with her unoccupied hand, she filled it with water, then passed it to the lord. "Just getting this one to Libra, then off to the strategy tent. Yesterday he said he wanted to hold a debriefing with me, or something. Anyway, even if I wanted help, Frederick told you to watch the baking bread, yah? It'll probably be done soon." Chrom couldn't really follow the conversation, but he did agree, the bread smelled close to perfection. He chugged the water, putting the cup down. "More?" He shook his head. She picked up a muffin, passing it to Chrom. He took it, nibbled it, then wanted to spit it out, although he didn't. He didn't like blueberry. Still, he took another bite; what could he say, he was hungry. "Got that this morning in town. I know you're not a fan of blueberries, but Frederick adores them. Told him he should splurge a little, so we bought mostly blueberry. There were other types, but obviously they were eaten." He nodded. She turned to Lon`qu. "Do you think it will be lunch soon?"

"Probably, the soup's been done for a while, just been waiting on the bread."

"Okay! Save some for us, not sure how long we'll take."

"You probably won't have competition. The others won't be forced awake until the afternoon."

Robin laughed, "You forget about Stahl, though. He'll wake up thanks to the smell of bread, and probably eat half the pot of soup."

Lon`qu chuckled. "Maybe."

Having finished the muffin, Chrom tried to step away from Robin. He still had the headache, but he felt more coordinated now. Stumbling, she caught him. Although she was holding him up again, at least his full weight wasn't leaning on her.

Turning towards the exit, she used one hand to wave at Lon`qu. "Till later then!"

"Congratulations, again."

"Thanks." Both she and Chrom responded. Chrom looked at his tactician in confusion, but he was already being pulled out. Maybe it was best just to forget…

A little more focused now, Chrom looked at their current camp. There was no movement. There were sounds of snoring next to the dead campfire, and bodies lying curdled in blankets, most heads hiding from the sun's rays, but it seemed that no one but Robin and himself were alive. However, obviously Lon`qu was awake, and by the sound of the conversation, Frederick and Libra were as well. Being that there was not much to look at, except for the multitude of uniformed tents, he turned to Robin, seeing her sleepless eyes. "Where'd you go last night?" He eased in, "Couldn't find you in the mess tent after a while."

"I left for a bit," She smiled.

"So you escaped? Why do you look like a raccoon?"

"Didn't sleep much, late night."

"You weren't studying were you? I know you like to keep sharp, but you need to relax a little. We just won the war!" He retaliated the assault he received earlier, poking her cheek.

She swatted his hand playfully. "Not studying, I was-" They arrived at the healer's tent. "Never mind, I'll tell you later."

"Good after-" Libra's smiling face turned to shock as he stood, moving toward the two. "Good Heavens! Is everything all right?"

"Just fine, Libra." Robin laughed. "Chrom's still a little unsteady thanks to the 'debauchery' of last night." The platinum led Chrom to a chair, letting the lord sit. Although he would prefer stretching while standing, he wasn't certain of his coordination, so he stretched where he was.

Libra chuckled in response. "I see. Do you need something for your hangover, milord?"

"It would be nice." Chrom smiled sheepishly.

Libra turned, setting about to make something. "I know it's too late, but one way to stop a hangover is to never drink in the first place." He chided, smile still on his face.

"Next time, next time…"

"Can't you just let it go for today, Libra?" Robin jumped in. "Everyone deserved the festivities. For the past few weeks, the camp has been on edge."

"You're right, Robin. Still, there is a difference between fun and…'debauchery,' as you called it."

"True, a very thin line. One that most Shepherds passed last night." Libra laughed in response, Chrom blushed. "Well, you better prepare, I have a feeling that you'll have more patients in before the day is done."

The War Monk laughed again, "Duly noted." He passed a concoction to Chrom; like the water, the lord chugged the foul looking remedy. "How are you this morning, though?" Libra looked at Robin, noting the bags under her eyes.

"Tired, but I don't need anything. Tonight, I'll just get a good night's sleep!"

"Are you sure? You're not in pain anywhere?"

"Yes, Libra, and I'm not hurting. Thanks for your concern, though." The monk nodded. "Ready to go, Chrom?"

The blue-haired royal stood up, stretched, then nodded. "Think so, yah. Thanks for the concoction, Libra."

"You're very welcome, milord."

With that, they waved, but before they could get very far, Libra's voice stopped them. "I forgot to mention this earlier, Robin. Congratulations and many blessings!"

"Thank you, Libra." She smiled broadly and left.

Twice now…

Chrom, being slightly lost in thought, followed the tactician, but as soon as he stepped out, something bumped into the prince…no, exalt. Chrom caught the girl from falling, now steady on his feet. "You okay, Olivia?"

"…ummm…Y-yes, milord." She stuttered, her face crimson. "I'm sorry!" She pushed away from Chrom. "Go-good morning! …I-I mean afternoon! …I mean-!"

"Peace, Olivia." Chrom laughed. "Heading to the healer's tent for a tonic as well?"

"Oh, no!" She shook her head, her long pony tail swaying.

"But, I saw you drink so much last night!"

"That wasn't too much, not compared to celebrations in Regna Ferox." Olivia giggled, blush lessening from her face.

"I see. If that's the case, why'd you come here?"

"Oh! ...um…I-I just came to tell Libra that lunch was ready."

"Lunch!" Chrom turned to look at Robin, silently asking for permission.

"No…"

"I'm starving, Robin!"

"And I'm 'Sleepy,' nice to meet you." With her left hand, she forcibly grabbed Chrom's and shook it. Olivia did her best to stifle her laughter. "I'm still up thanks to you wanting a meeting, Chrom." She poked the blue-haired man with her less dominant left hand. "I would have gone back to bed, after going into town, if not for that! If I had to wait for you to wake up, then you can wait for food! Anyway, you ate that muffin, wasn't that enough?"

"…I'm still hungry."

"Robin, milord, I can bring the lunch to you if you want."

"Really! You're a lifesaver, Olivia!" Chrom grabbed both her hands, the Dancer's face was deep red again.

"You don't have to go through the trouble, Olivia." Robin, touched her shoulder, and without much notice, removed Chrom's hands from the Dancer's.

"No trouble at all, Robin!" She smiled.

"As you like," The tactician returned in kind, leading Chrom away by the elbow. "We'll be in the strategy tent. Thanks!"

"Thanks!" Chrom called back.

Nodding, the Dancer entered the medical tent.

They walked further away, then heard a shout. "Congratulations!" It spooked Chrom a bit, never hearing Olivia's voice raised, but Robin paid no heed. As she walked, however, she waved back to her friend in acknowledgement.

"Why is everyone 'congratulating' you, Robin?"

"We'll talk about it later, Chrom. We have another, more serious matter to deal with."

"We do?"

"Yes… Bad, Chrom!" She slapped him with her left hand, catching him by surprise.

"Wait! What did I do?"

"Remember your position. You're engaged, you can't be flirting with other women!"

"Flirting? I wasn't!"

"Maybe you don't think so, maybe I don't think so, but others will start talking if you continue to act the way you do. All the long-time Shepherds here know it's not in your nature, but others can misread the signs. Frederick, Lissa, Sumia, or I can't be watching your actions 24/7. Please at least think before you act. Maybe it's not obvious to you, and you would never act on it, being that you're a simple, loyal fool, but Olivia has a bit of a crush on you. I doubt she would act on it either, but others may if you unconsciously flirt."

"Please don't assume things like that about other people, Robin!"

"Chrom, I've talked to Olivia. She likes you, she's told me herself. Unlike you, I've unofficially become the Shepherd's life counselor. But back to the point, being that you're engaged, she won't act on it. Give her some time, you can be friends later. Still, by what Maribelle, Frederick, and Lissa told me, court life is different. If you don't watch yourself, some blue-blood might try to become your mistress. Maybe that's a frowned upon position, but having a child from the Exalt can still raise a person's rank. Just think about it, you'll probably get this lecture from at least Frederick later."

"Very well," He sighed. She was right, like always.

"Milord, good afternoon." Right on cue, as if hearing his name summoned him, Frederick was in front of the two, blocking the way to the strategy tent.

"Frederick."

"I heard from Lon`qu that you were up. It's lunch time. Do you wish to dine in the kitchen area, or should I bring something here?"

"Here," Robin responded before Chrom. "However, Olivia said she would bring it."

Frederick nodded in response. "I'll just help her carry it then. Do you need something to drink? Tea perhaps?"

Chrom looked at Robin. She looked at him, giving the "I'm not your voice look," so he spoke. "Tea would be nice."

"Anything in particular, milord?"

"Anything is fine, thanks."

"Something to help wake you then?"

"Sounds good."

"And you, Robin?"

"I can just have what Chrom's drinking. I don't need anything special."

"I don't mind making it."

"Don't trouble yourself."

"…Very well."

"Chrom," She brought the lord back into the conversation. "Should we wait until Frederick returns to strategize, or whatever it was you needed?"

Chrom laughed nervously. "No, it's fine. Frederick, once done, you don't need to stay."

"Very well, milord."

"Hold it," Robin smiled. "I think Frederick should come, after all, he's been with us through most major strategy meetings. His input has always been useful."

"Umm…well…we're going to be talking about you-know-what, which involves you-know-who, so it might not be the best idea." He winked at her, trying to give the tactician a hint. He laughed hesitantly, hoping that she understood.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Chrom." Her eyes told him that she knew. "Frederick should be there."

"Milady, I-"

"Stop." She held her left hand up to Frederick. "Remember what we talked about this morning," She turned to Chrom, "And what we just talked about. I'm a woman, Chrom. You might not think so," A jab to some much earlier misspoken words. "And maybe the camp is used to our meetings, but once we return to Ylisse, we won't have the luxury of one-on-one chats. Not only because we will both be busy, but also because it will be seen as questionable behavior. We might as well get used to having all our meetings with at least one or two others."

"She's right, milord." Frederick turned to Chrom. "I'm not really sure what you two will be talking about, but having other witnesses between your meetings will halt rumors before they can surface."

"…But…I…" Gods, when he was cornered, he was cornered, and when he was cornered by these two, which happened every now and again, he had no chance. "Very well, we'll wait till you come back…"

"Very well, milord." He bowed, opening the tent to allow lord and tactician to enter. Frederick then tied up the flap, leaving to the kitchen to brew the tea. The tent was bare now, save for the table and chairs, no doubt Frederick's doing in preparation for when they would break down camp, which would most likely occur tomorrow, being that most of the camp was "dead."

With Great Knight gone, Chrom spoke. "Robin, how in Naga's name can we plan getting you and him together, if he's right in the tent?"

"Don't worry about it, Chrom." She sat in her usual chair, left hand covering right elbow.

The Exalt followed suit, sitting across from Robin. "How can I not, Robin? I promised to help you claim Frederick's heart, and you promised to help me claim Sumia's. You followed through, and now I need to."

"Chrom, don't worry about it, we-"

"How can I not, Robin? You two are my closest friends! I won't deny that having the two of you as a duo combination will be hell for me to deal with, but you two are good for each other. He's overly loving, loyal, and observant, which is what you need due to your secret insecurities, about yourself, and since you over work just as much as him. Don't deny it. I might be a bit oblivious with most things, but I've at least noticed your insecurity. Anyway, he needs you because, well, you just relax him, unwind him a bit. Maybe you haven't noticed, but he's gotten a lot calmer with you around. Almost all the original Shepherds have made that comment to me or Lissa."

Robin sat there, a bit stunned, hearing Chrom's soliloquy. "Really though," She finally found her voice again. "Don't worry about it, Chrom..."

"Robin-"

They heard a knock. "Milord, we brought lunch!" Olivia came in with a small pot and basket, followed by Frederick carrying two platters. One held two pots of tea, and three cups and saucers. The other held a cake, a small stack of plates and bowls, utensils, napkins, sugar cubes, and other small necessities. The two put their things down on some chairs.

"Two kettles, Frederick! I told you, you didn't need to!"

"But, you enjoy mint tea, if I'm not mistaken. I just thought it would be nice."

"…It's too late now, I suppose. Thank you…" Looking over the goods they brought in, her focus narrowed to the cake. "Where did you get the cake, Frederick? When did you buy it?" The platinum's eyes shined. It was a white frosted cake, decorated with strawberries, Robin's favorite fruit.

"I made it while you went off packing your room and this one. I'm glad I hid it, I wanted to surprise you."

"A surprise indeed!" Robin glowed.

Chrom realized he was missing something…

Frederick started to arrange the table. He even came prepared with a table covering, packed away with the bread.

"Thorough as always, Frederick." Robin winked.

"As you know, Robin." He smiled back.

Olivia giggled, "You two are so cute!"

…Wait…Really, what was he missing?

Chrom had a lost look on his face, which Frederick caught immediately. "You haven't told him yet?" Looking at Robin, a bit perturbed.

"I would have, if he would let me!" Robin's cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk.

"Told me what?" His eyes looking between his lieutenant and tactician.

"We're-" Frederick started it.

"En-" Robin stepped closer to Frederick.

"-Gaged!" The official couple said in unison, although Frederick not as excited in tone as Robin. The knight was slightly blushing, which was rare for the man, while Robin was beaming, more so than when she received her first high-level tome, which happened to be a Thoron gifted by Frederick; something he had dug up in the palace's storage. Her left hand, which Chrom now realized she was trying to hint at the whole time, was up, showing off a silver ring. With a heart at the center, it was simple, clean, refined; the ring clearly defined the couple.

"What!" For the second time in the day, he fell off his chair, hitting his head on the ground.

"Milord!" Frederick rushed to the man's side. "Are you alright? Is anything broken? How many fingers am I holding up? Is it three? I'm holding up three!" Frederick spewed questions which Chrom had no time to answer. Robin and Olivia stood looking over, Robin doubled over in laughter, Olivia trying her best not to follow the platinum's example.

Chrom, with Frederick's help, was now on his feet, greatly embarrassed and confused. "Explain this to me!" It came out as a bit of a growl. Frederick looked alarmed, Robin laughed harder, and Olivia found a way to control her laughing fit, her face now just a big smile.

"I'll be leaving now," Olivia waved, trying to exit the tent without notice.

"Don't…" Chrom stared darkly. He wanted…no needed answers.

"Let...her...go...Chrom." Robin said between laughs and breathing. "You won't...get anything...out of her...She doesn't know much." Her voice finally in control, back to decorum.

Chrom glowered at Frederick. Frederick replied tensely, "Robin's right, milord."

In response, Chrom waved Olivia away, without even looking. He knew she was outside, being that the Dancer started laughing again, and that she was gone, being that her laughter got more distant.

"Explain!" He looked directly at Frederick, instinctively knowing that the knight was easier to dictate.

"Well, it starts like this…" Robin began, taking away the tension that was focused on her beloved.

* * *

"And that's the story, milord." Frederick sighed. The tent was much calmer. The food had been doled out as the simplified story was told. Thus the prince was fully satiated with knowledge and food.

To summarize, following the events at the camp fire, Frederick woke the tactician up around nine to head into town to buy an engagement ring, assuming there was one she wanted, otherwise, they would wait until their return to Ylisse. Unexpectedly, they happened to find one; one which she adored. While there, they also bought breakfast and other ingredients for lunch. Returning to find a few Shepherds awake, they were quickly congratulated, and then they split; Frederick to cook, Robin to clean.

As the explanation slowly finished up, Frederick also asked permission to marry the tactician, which Chrom whole-heartedly gave. The lord didn't really understand Frederick's reasoning, although the knight tried to explain, but since he somewhat understood the knight's personality, he just nodded and smiled.

"You two," Chrom shook his head. "You two really are something…" Smile on his face, seeing a new pair of lovers sitting side-by-side.

Frederick had already finished, so his dominant right held her left. Robin though was still eating. Right hand was cutting through the cake which her fiancée kindly made.

"When will you marry? Will you two be living in the castle?"

"About two to three months," Robin said in between mouthfuls, although she never spoke with cake in her mouth.

"And no, Robin will be moving into my house after we're officially married."

"So, until then, I'll be staying in the palace."

"Gods, you two are in synch" Chrom's smile remained plastered on his face. The two were still a bit awkward with each other in touching proximity, and being a bit affectionate, for their personalities, in "public," although this was technically private space, but they were definitely relaxed. Would he and Sumia become like that? True, they had found time to spend in each other's company, although mostly on the battlefield. Thinking back on these two though, they had interacted quite a lot, thanks to the planning, training, and how much they were paired when fighting.

"Well," Robin looked slyly over at Frederick. "It was only last night when everything finally 'clicked.'"

"Either way, congratulations, 'Mother,'" He looked at Robin. ""Father."" He turned to Frederick. Based on what the knight said, the others, sleeping or awake, would not be given the whole story, so Chrom, and maybe later Sumia, was the only one(s) privy to it, although Robin had to force Frederick to agree. Ah, the hierarchy of the relationship begins…

"Thank you, milord."

"Thanks, Chrom…However, let me correct you on one thing."

"Yes?" Chrom looked at her.

"Frederick's the 'Mother,' I'm the 'Father,'"

He smiled. "That makes…Wait…What?" Once again, the lord fell, but not without breaking anything; in the process to save his balance, he grabbed the table cloth. Being that the linen would obviously not save him, all the dishes and cups followed the Exalt to the floor, in a very similar manner to what the lovely Sumia would do. Luckily for Robin, she recognized all the signs, and saved her delicious, hand-made cake from disaster.

"Mother" Frederick rushed to his "child's" aid, while "Father" Robin stood there, cake in hand, laughing. Oh, what a family the Shepherds were!

**A/N:**

**Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this one-shot. I'm not sure if it's good or bad, but I'm happy with it!**

**It's not really a prompt, but I wrote this relating to the FE:A 2nd drama CD. Close to the end, Chrom does his speech, the "I will not falter again" one. However, after in the CD, FeMU states that Frederick is acting like a proud father. (or something along those lines) Well, like FeMU in this story, I also started thinking, "He's like a father...but isn't he more motherly?" ...And so, here we are. Also, more fuel to the fire, FeMU is the one linked to mother, via Noire's supports.**


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